Proposed lorry ban off Magdalen Road: my objection

Submitted to Wandsworth Council on 28 February 2018:

As an Earlsfield ward Councillor and member of the Community Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee I object to the proposals set out in https://m.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2965733 on the basis that both the consultation process and substantive content of the proposal itself are not in accordance with what was agreed at the Community Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 20 September 2016.

The proposals (as set out in paper 16-373), which were agreed by all members of the committee, included the introduction of “a weight restriction in the ‘Magdalen Estate’ area to reduce HGV through traffic and safeguard the area against any future increases in HGV traffic arising from future developments.” (paragraph 23).

What is currently being consulted on is the introduction of a weight restriction in roads north of Fieldview only (i.e. Wandsworth Common ward). This therefore excludes a large part of the Magdalen Estate between Openview and Garratt Lane (i.e. Earlsfield ward).

This makes absolutely no sense and simply risks displacing and concentrating the problem to a residential area that includes a high number of young families, not to mention four primary schools (Beatrix Potter, Earlsfield Primary, Garratt Park and the Chelsea School).

Not only is it a shortsighted approach, it also does not reflect the ambition – as discussed at the OSC committee only last week – to move away from looking at traffic problems on isolated roads (and in response to individual petitions) to consider traffic modelling in a more holistic way.

I met with council officers back in 2015 to discuss the recognised problems of rat running and HGV’s using residential streets between Burntwood Lane and Magdalen Road. I sought (and was given) reassurances that proposals developed would address all residential streets between these two main roads and mitigate against displacing the problem from one area to another.

In terms of the consultation process itself, the community services OSC gave approval at the same meeting for the council to “undertake a consultation to establish the support for the proposals as described in this report in paragraphs 21 to 23” (paragraph 3 (c)).

As far as I am aware this has been limited to the publication of a notice on The Gazette. This is my view does not amount to a public consultation or indeed a means to meaningfully engage residents affected by the proposal – which extends beyond the residents of Ellerton and Beechcroft Roads that originally presented petitions.

Having raised my concerns with officers earlier this week, I was informed that residents of other roads are welcome to present petitions of their own. This is an unacceptable response and again does not reflect the ambition to move away from looking at individual roads and petitions in isolation.

I therefore strongly recommend that the restriction of HGV’s extends to all residential roads between Burntwood Lane and Magdalen Road – as originally proposed and agreed by committee, in full recognition of the extent of the problem, and with no arbitrary discrimination between ward boundaries.